MY FLOWER GARDEN. 297 



garden being carried out in turf and otherwise, it is an immense 

 relief towards the perfect enjoyment of the summer and early 

 autumn garden, the only seasons when we may live among the 

 flowers. Rich as we may be in spring flowers, in our climate 

 they are mainly to be seen in the cold days, some coming even 

 in midwinter. So I keep the flower garden itself for the beauties 

 of summer and autumn. 



It will be seen that these two flower gardens on slightly different 

 levels are in intimate relation to the house. The old hall door opens 

 into the smaller garden, and the west garden door into the larger. 

 -The garden is, in fact, as it should always be a larger living-room. 

 The varieties of situation are so many that it is not always possible to 

 secure this ; but it is by far the best way to have the real flower 

 garden, where all our precious flowers are, in close relation to the 

 house, so that we can enjoy and see and gather our flowers in the 

 most direct way. The stone paths enable us to do this in all 

 weathers ; going for half a mile to get to the flower garden, or 

 scattering garden flowers in all directions, is not the right way. 

 The wild garden is right in that way, but for the choice flowers 

 that need attention and that charm us most, the flower garden should 

 be within easy reach and in the best and sunniest spot. 



The view of the Clematis here shows the ones that I have put 

 in the open sun or in partial shade, and not among bushes or trees 

 a favourite way of mine ; but even thus we have had great success, 

 and up to the end of September this year they are very beautiful. 

 Those, however, that have done the best were obtained on their own 

 roots and were not grafted. The soil is that of the country, that is 

 loam with some sand, in which these plants delight. The supports 

 are tripods of Chestnut, grown on the place, and trellises of Oak and 

 Chestnut, the small fixings being of Rattan. The uprights are made 

 of iron posts, with Oak or Bamboo stakes over. The kinds shown 

 here are mostly forms derived from the Japanese lanuginosa, crossed 

 here and there with some noble kinds, such as Perle d'Azur, La 

 France, Nellie Moser and the larger forms generally, and the 

 charming coccinea. 



THE POSITION OF THE FLOWER GARDEN IN RELATION 

 TO THE HOUSE. 



In olden times, so far as any evidence remains to us from pictures, 

 prints, tapestry, etc., the place for the flower garden was quite near the 

 house ; and that is the place for it now. In the best conditions, 

 it should be like an extension of the house a larger flower room. 



